A LONG-TERM road closure on the A377 south of Umberleigh, to enable highway repairs and stabilisation works to be completed following a landslip began today, Monday, September 14 and are expected to take six months.

The works are at Weirmarsh and are being completed following the approval of a £1.29 million contract awarded by Devon County Council to Newton Abbot-based Bridge Civil Engineering.

The essential works follow a landslip that caused part of the road to collapse in 2021.

Traffic management

Devon County Council said that when developing the scheme, all feasible options were explored to minimise the need for road closures.

It added: “However, the stabilisation works will require a full road closure of up to three months at the start of construction.

“Once this phase of the works is complete, the traffic management will change to two-way traffic lights.”

Information regarding the diversion route can be found on one.network.

In 2021, the embankment supporting the A377 at Weirmarsh suffered a landslip, causing the edge of the carriageway to collapse.

Since then, the south-bound lane has been closed under two-way traffic lights for public safety.

After extensive planning, Devon County Council are now moving to the next stage of the project: stabilising the carriageway and embankment to enable the reinstatement of a full-width carriageway.

It added: “We have worked to minimise disruption wherever possible and will make full use of the closure period to deliver additional improvements, including: 950m of resurfacing, drainage improvements, vegetation clearance and inspections of nearby structures.

“We understand that this is a significant time for this route to be closed and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

The work involves building a 50 metre highway stabilisation retaining wall and 970 metres of highway resurfacing.